


Connected

by Kyoukalay



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: A concept ive been wanting to try out, Adventure, Andrew and Hershel adventure, Angst, Azran relics, F/M, Im back with weird dream thingies, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 6,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyoukalay/pseuds/Kyoukalay
Summary: Hershel has been dreaming about something odd... Something that shouldn't be real.
Relationships: Emmy Altava/Hershel Layton
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A little experiment

He looked around, not understanding where he was or what he was doing before. The ground, the sky, the surrounding area all looked strange. Blue mixed with pink and yellow clouds marked the lands, stretching on until forever. He walked through, wondering what it meant. Did it serve a purpose? He couldn’t tell what he remembered last.

A strange object appeared in the distance, suddenly shooting close.

‘’A...tree?’’

The tree had a normal trunk made of wood, but the leaves were once again made of the same soft, cloud-like material. He reached his hand up and weaved his fingers through.

‘’What is this?’’

‘’You’re here…’’

Hershel turned around to the voice and took a step back. It had seemed like he was all alone here, but now a figure had appeared.

‘’It can’t be..’’

‘’I can’t believe it worked…’’

Before him stood someone he hadn’t seen in years. Someone he had recently thought of, but never expected to see.

‘’Emmy?’’

She looked a little strange. She was wearing a long white robe and had glitter in her half-long hair. She looked different from the last he’d seen of her. In the picture she had enclosed in her letter. Where she was happily reporting for the World Times. She had surprised him with her short hair, but it suited her very well in his opinion. Her face had been delightfully bright and bubbly. Here, her eyes looked a little sunken in. A little sad.

She moved in closer and smiled a small smile.

‘’It’s good to see you.’’

He didn’t know how to respond. Where were they? Why was she here?

‘’Am...am I dreaming?’’ he asked.

Emmy stood before him, her eyes turned down to the ground.

‘’What if you were?’’


	2. Chapter 2

He opened his eyes and gasped for air as he shot forward. 

‘’E-Emmy?’’

Nothing. He blinked a couple of times, readjusted his eyes to the morning sun. He was in his house, in his bed, no clouds or Emmy in sight. He grabbed his shirt and felt his heart beating fast against his ribcage.

‘’So it  _ was  _ a dream..’’

He realised that his shirt was soaked. He sighed deeply to try to calm his heart. What just happened? He didn’t know. 

Maybe this was a sign to write her a note?

Or maybe he really needed to get a steadier sleeping schedule. All in all, he needed to get changed. And maybe take a shower.


	3. Chapter 3

He put down his pen onto his desk and sighed again. He had sighed often today. He looked out of the window of his office and watched the stars sparkle in the night sky. He wondered if he would have another dream similar to the one he had last night. It was so vivid...so clear. He still remembered every bit of it. The strange environment. The appearance of his ex-assistant. The sorrowful look in her eyes…

He looked back down and decided to try to finish up his work. He shouldn’t dwell on dreams. They weren’t real after all…


	4. Chapter 4

His sheets looked inviting and warm, but he still felt reluctant to return. The dream hadn’t been scary or troublesome, it had just been...odd. He blamed his current lack of sleep and lack of social contact. Maybe his subconscious was telling him to get a life? That’s probably it.

He sat down on his bed in defeat, considering for a second to keep on working through the night.

‘’No… I can’t.’’ he sighed, knowing fully well that he should refrain from that again.

He laid down on his back, closed his eyes and focussed on nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

That smell… Why was it so familiar? He sniffed again. And again. 

‘’Lavender?’’ he mumbled.

‘’You remember…’’

He opened his eyes and looked at the cotton candy like clouds floating around him. He could feel that he was leaning against the tree. Something warm was nestled up in his side. He looked down and suppressed the urge to gasp. There she was again, the same as she looked yesterday.

‘’It was my favourite smell.’’ she giggled. ‘’Thanks for remembering.’’

‘’Emmy... Where are we?’’

She looked up at him and stared for a moment. He didn’t know why but it unsettled him.

‘’Like you said. You’re dreaming.’’

‘’But...how…’’

She stood up and moved up her arms above her head. Without hesitation, she twirled upside down so she was standing on her hands. Her dress inelegantly sacked over her face, revealing a bodysuit underneath. She laughed through the fabric and let herself fall onto her back. It didn’t seem to hurt her...but he knew why. The clouds were actually soft.

‘’Just… keep thinking about me, okay?’’


	6. Chapter 6

A searing pain in his chest woke him up. He grabbed his shirt and once again felt the sweat soaking through. He tried to breathe but found it hard to do so. The pain was too strong for some reason. What was happening to him? Why did Emmy appear in his dreams? Why did she seem so strange and mysterious? 

Was she ok?

He understood one thing. 

He wasn’t.


	7. Chapter 7

‘’That… does sound a little strange, my boy.’’ Andrew said.

His hand scratched his beard in thought. The professor placed his cup of tea down on the table in Andrew’s office and sighed.

‘’It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced before. The dream itself, Emmy, the intense feelings afterwards when I wake up. I don’t think I've ever even remembered my dreams so clearly.’’

‘’And Emmy, what did she tell you?’’

‘’That… I should keep thinking about her.’’

‘’That’s a strange thing to say.’’ he stood up from his chair. ‘’Maybe there is some meaning behind it all, but I would have to look into it.’’

‘’You have a theory?’’

‘’A very small one. But, I’ve heard about a relic that might have some properties relating to your predicament. Let me look into it and I’ll let you know once I have answers.’’

He had walked over to his desk in the meantime, gathering materials and contacts for his research.

‘’Write down what happens in the dreams. They might have a pattern in them, Hershel.’’

The professor nodded and looked down at his hands. He would love some answer right about now.


	8. Chapter 8

This time she was sitting between his legs, with her head against his chest. The feeling wasn’t uncomfortable, just a little awkward. Emmy hummed contendly as she watched the clouds drift by. The professor wasn’t sure what to do. He had his arms placed on his knees and wanted to ask her every question in the book. The only thing was… he was afraid that he would wake up as soon as he would.

‘’You’re quiet today.’’ she said softly.

‘’I’m just… confused.’’

Emmy stayed silent for a moment, before sitting back and looking him in the eyes.

‘’You can ask me one big thing per dream.’’

That sentence alone gave him more questions than anything.

‘’Alright. First things first… Are you really Emmy? Or are you just my mind's concoction?’’

Her gaze softened and her smile widened. He was about to say something else, when she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

He froze.

She leaned back and smiled widely.

‘’Does that feel real?’’


	9. Chapter 9

‘’It does…’’

His answer hadn’t reached her. He was looking up at his ceiling, feeling more confused than before. The pain in his chest felt different today. More gentle and fragile. He grabbed the notebook he had placed on the nightstand the night before and started scribbling. He needed to write everything down for Andrew.

He felt some heat creep to his cheeks as he wrote down the final scene from the dream; a strange feeling spreading through his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

He couldn’t focus that day. All he could think off was Emmy and those strange dreams. He knew he had to wait for Andrew to call him, but he was aching for answers anyway. When he got ready for bed that evening, he almost couldn’t wait to fall asleep. He couldn’t wait for the answer to his next question…

When he finally managed to get comfortable and fall asleep, the tree quickly came into view, with a girl in a white dress next to it. She immediately brightened up when she saw him approach and started running into his direction. That same feeling he felt this morning resurged in his chest. She jumped almost a little too high in the air, before plummeting down into him.

She felt so light. Unnaturally light.

‘’You’re back.’’ she mumbled into his shirt.

‘’I am.’’ he returned, unable to suppress his upcoming smile.

Something about her child-like vigour made him feel so happy. She leaned back and stared at him with her big brown eyes.

‘’I’m so happy you’re here, Hershel.’’

_ Hershel… _

His heart skipped a beat. She had never called him by his name before. It had always just been ...professor.

‘’I-I’m happy too!’’

_ Was he? _

She grabbed his hand and guided him to the tree. The little spot where all of their meetups would take place. Once they had both taken a seat, Hershel started mulling over his question for tonight. He knew he had to ask something important. Something that would actually mean something. But, what?

‘’Remember when Luke tried to stuff an entire wad of candy floss in his mouth as a bet.’’ she giggled.

She laid her head down onto his lap and looked up at him with a big grin.

‘’Er...well…’’ Hershel stammered, a little embarrassed by the sudden contact. ‘’I remembered clearly that you were the one that bet him.’’

‘’Well, it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to.’’

‘’No I suppose not.’’ Hershel smiled a small smile, reminiscing the day fondly.

She continued recalling little pieces of memory that they had shared together, surprising him with the amount of conversation they were able to keep up without ending the dream. Hours felt like seconds and seconds felt like an eternity.

He had placed his hand over hers unconsciously while they talked; a warm feeling filling him to his core.

After some time, Emmy sat up and moved in closer. Hershel held his breath when she was just inches away from his face. He expected a kiss and closed his eyes.

‘’You still need to ask me a question.’’ she whispered.

He opened his eyes again and blinked in confusion.

‘’Right...uhm...Emmy, are you also dreaming?’’

Her gaze shifted momentarily before refocusing on him.

‘’In a way…’’

She placed a soft peck on his nose; a smile on her lips, but not in her eyes. A pain started jamming in his chest. He felt that he would wake up any moment but quickly placed his hand on her cheek.

‘’I’ll be back tomorrow…’’

He moved forward to kiss her...but it was too late.


	11. Chapter 11

The pain was stronger today. He clenched his shirt, his trembling body covered in. He tried to calm it with deep breaths, but it didn't seem to work. Why was it so strong? Was it connected to the dream? To her? He decided to add it to the dream journal he had been keeping. He hoped to hear from Andrew soon.

He slowly got ready for the day, the pain not really subsiding from his chest. He was happy that it was saturday and that he had nothing planned. He wouldn’t be able to teach like this. Once he had gotten ready and ate breakfast, the phone rang in his living room. He hurried to the black box and answered with ‘’This is Hershel Layton speaking,’’

‘’Hershel my boy, it’s Andrew.’’

The pain increased a little together with his heart rate.

‘’Any news?’’

‘’Well, I was wondering if I could come over this afternoon. I would like to discuss my findings and also to see your notes on the matter. Do you have anything else planned this weekend?’’

‘’No, nothing yet.’’ hershel replied, curious to no end.

‘’Very well. Keep it that way. I’ll be there in an hour.’’


	12. Chapter 12

‘’Hm. So she tells you she’s real, that is is also dreaming and that you are sharing a dream then?’’

‘’In a roundabout sort of way, yes.’’ the professor sighed.

‘’And she’s affectionate I see.’’ Andrew smirked at his student.

Hershel twiddled his thumbs and nodded with a small smile.

‘’And that pain you’re experiencing. Tell me more about it.’’

Hershel pointed to the point on his chest that burned that hardest. ‘’This is where I keep feeling it. It’s currently just throbbing a little, but this morning it was really bad.’’

‘’Do you have it after every dream?’’

‘’I...I think I didn’t have it the first time. And… sometimes it’s not as bad as today.’’

Andrew stared at the notes in his hand in deep thought.

‘’So what did you find, Andrew?’’

‘’Ah, right,’’ Andrew placed the notebook on the table and started rummaging through his own bag. ‘’This is what I was referring to earlier this week.’’

He placed a picture of a strange looking device on the table. Hershel picked it up to study it closer. The item was round with little wooden wings sprouted on the sides. The inner part had little figures scribbled into it that the professor immediately recognised as Azran. He tried to read it, but the picture was too blurry and the symbols were too small.

‘’What does it do?’’ he asked.

‘’My colleagues have spent decades looking for the item. We only know what we know about it from one person that has found it 4 years ago, who also took this picture. She was a scientist that went missing not soon after. Her notes describe that the relic was used in a sort of revival ritual. And you know as well as I do, that the Azran had a fascination with revival.’’

‘’But, how is that connected with my predicament exactly?’’ Hershel asked, a slight irritation building up inside of him.

‘’One peculiar note that I remembered that still perplexes everyone researching the item. She wrote down, and I quote: ‘’The dreams, or at least that’s what he calls them, feel so real. I wish to stay in that fluffy dream forever. I wonder If I’m hurting him. I wonder if this is a mistake. I should stop the dreams, before he realises. But that would mean...the end.’’

‘’The end?’’

‘’I’m not sure…’’ Andrew sighed. ‘’But I have a feeling Emmy might have gotten her hands on the relic. She might be in danger…’’

‘’Then there is one thing left to do.’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’Find her.’’


	13. Chapter 13

They left for the main office of the World Times soon after, in the hope of finding a clue of where Emmy currently resided. The office was on the other side of London, but thankfully easily accessible by car. The little Layton mobile crossed through the streets with determination and just a bit too much speed. The professor was sitting behind the wheel and gripped it tight. The frown on his face was telling. He was not doing too swell.

‘’Hershel?’’ Doctor Andrew Schrader called out to his student, who was seated in the passenger's side of the car. ‘’Are you alright my boy?’’

‘’Mfine.’’ 

‘’We will get answers. I promise.’’

He tried his best to sound reassuring, but Andrew knew as well, that something was probably wrong. He worried for the girl as well, in a mentor-sort-of way. Not in the same way his dear student did. He only hoped that they would find her soon, so they could put an end to his predicament.


	14. Chapter 14

‘’I’m sorry to say, but we have no clue where she is. The last reports of her were in the jungle of Borneo. Her last message was her resignation from the team 4 months back.’’

‘’Oh…’’

Hershel looked to the ground in defeat. 

She resigned?

‘’Thank you for your help, young man.’’ Andrew smiled warmly. ‘’Is it possible for us to see her message? We are family you see and we are very worried.’’

‘’But of course! I’ll be right back.’’ the lanky boy with the tag George smiled at the elder gent.

Andrew placed his hand on the professor’s arm to get his attention.

‘’We’ll travel to Borneo if we have to.’’

‘’Really?’’

‘’What’s a little adventure to two puzzle loving archeologists.’’ Andrew winked.


	15. Chapter 15

‘’Are you sure? It might take all night...’’

‘’What better way to see what happens?’’ Andrew smiled at his student. ‘’Just relax and try to dream. I’ll be here when you wake up.’’

The professor was sitting on top of his bed with conflicted feelings. He wanted to sleep and see her again. To tell her that they were looking for her. But… Something felt wrong. Maybe it was because Andrew would be watching him all night and taking notes, but it felt like it was something else.

‘’What should I ask her..?’’ he whispered.

‘’Hm. Maybe ask her where she is in real life? That might be the quickest way to find her.’’

Hershel nodded and started getting comfortable between the sheets. It might be a little odd to have someone watch you sleep, but that didn’t stop him from falling quickly anyway. He had been very tired these past couple of days. Almost like the sleep wasn’t giving him the rest he needed.


	16. Chapter 16

‘’Emmy…’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’Could you… come down from there?’’

He looked up at the increasingly larger branches of the tree. Emmy was sitting close to the top, where she peered down with a big smile.

‘’Hmm, what’s the secret password?’’

‘’Uh, please?’’

‘’Nope. Try again.’’

‘’Emmy, I wish to talk to you. I...I don’t want to play games.’’ Hershel pleaded.

Emmy swung her past each other and pouted. She didn’t look like she wanted to talk.

‘’I’ll do anything you want when you come down, alright?’’ he tried accompanied with a small smile.

This seemed to please her. She moved up on the branch and got ready to jump off, much to his surprise. He panicked as she stuck out her tongue and squatted down.

‘’W-wait! That’s too high!’’

Before he could protest any further, she jumped off and sauntered down between the falling leaves. He felt a heat creep to his cheeks once again as he watched her almost float. Once she came closer to him, he instinctively opened his arms to catch her. She landed against him, as planned, and laughed when he hugged her close to him. He had forgotten how light she was in here. Almost like a ghost.

‘’That was dangerous my dear.’’ he said with a reciprocated laugh.

‘’Yeah… maybe.’’

She placed her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. The faint lavender perfume reached him again, together with a strange sense of...dread?

He didn’t have time to waste.

‘’Emmy,’’ he pulled back from their embrace and looked into her eyes. ‘’You need to tell me where you are.’’

‘’I’m right here silly.’’ she laughed.

‘’I mean in real life. Me and Andrew are trying to find you.’’

Emmy’s eyes quickly turned from bubbly to cold. She let go of his neck and took a few steps back.

‘’...What?’’

‘’You have quit the World Times 4 months ago and left for Borneo. That’s all we know so far. Where are you? I could ask 1 question per dream, correct?’’

He knew he was being too harsh, but he needed to know. He needed to find her.

Emmy placed her hand against her face and shook her head.

‘’I...can’t…’’

‘’Emmy?’’

‘’I’m sorry professor.’’

_Professor?_


	17. Chapter 17

Hershel jolted forward with his bed and gasped for air. 

‘’Hershel!’’ Andrew called out and rushed towards him.

He couldn’t breathe. His chest felt like it was pierced by something. Like he was suffocating. He grasped his shirt and tried to cough, but it didn’t seem to work.

Andrew grabbed him by his shoulders and tried to steady him. ‘’Breathe my boy, breathe!’’

Hershel looked him in the eyes and felt a rush of air enter his lungs. He breathed in deeply and felt the pain dissipate.


	18. Chapter 18

‘’It’s becoming dangerous… I don't know if I should sleep again until we find her.’’

‘’But..’’

‘’I know, I know..’’

Hershel leaned his head against the airplane window and sighed. They had booked a flight to Borneo, where one of Andrew’s colleagues was currently working on some project with gibbon monkeys that he wasn’t necessarily interested in. They were going to help them on their quest, which he was very thankful for. On any other moment in his life, Hershel would have been thrilled to go on a trip with Andrew around the world on some crazy adventure or mystery. But at the moment… he just felt like he was filled to the brim with anxiety.


	19. Chapter 19

Andrew’s worry for his student was growing with the second. His lifeless eyes with darkly coloured bags underneath didn’t exactly fit the young gentleman. Even if he tried making conversation on some topic they usually enjoyed discussing, Hershel barely responded. He really needed some sleep, since he had been awake for almost 37 hours by now, but he refused to do so. Even if Andrew begged him to close his eyes for just 10 minutes, the good old professor wouldn’t hear it.

He understood that he was afraid. Afraid of the haunting dreams. Afraid of waking up with the inability to breathe. But they were close to the answer. He could feel it.


	20. Chapter 20

It was nighttime in the humid jungle of Borneo. They had only just arrived and Andrew was quick to go to his room in the small hotel they stayed at. Hershel once again refused to sleep and was currently situated on the couch next to his bed with research in hand. He had probably reread and re focused on Andrew’s research, articles and pictures a thousand times by now, but he felt like he was still missing something. 

He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. A protruding headache wasn’t exactly helping, but the lack of sleep could be thanked for that. Maybe… for just a bit? He considered it while looking to the bed on the side which looked increasingly more inviting.

‘’I suppose it would be better to have a clear mind tomorrow…’’ he mumbled to himself.

He sighed again, hoping to find some release of the build-up stress in his chest. But to no avail. He placed the picture of the relic back down onto the table, moved up and over to the bed. When he sat down on the thin mattress, he almost felt like dozing off where he sat. Thankfully, his conscious mind made him lay down before disaster struck.


	21. Chapter 21

‘’Promise me something…’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’Don’t run away.’’ he said softly while tightly embracing her from behind.

Emmy didn’t respond. She only moved her head back against his shoulder and sighed. Now that he had her forced into his arms, Hershel felt a little more at ease. Their fingers intertwined and that warm feeling he experienced before spread through his chest in a pleasant way. His nose was stuck into her curly hair and the faint smell of lavender filled his nostrils. She smelled so good. She felt so soft. Why did it take him so long to hold her again?

‘’So, you’re looking for me?’’

He kind of wished he could see her face.

‘’I am. Together with Andrew. He suspects our current...situation...has something to do with this relic.’’

‘’Hm…’’

‘’I want to see you, Emmy.’’

He pulled her just a little bit closer against him and placed his chin on her shoulder.

‘’Don’t you want to see me?’’

‘’I’m seeing you now, aren’t I?’’

Why was she being like this? What was she hiding…

‘’We’re already in Borneo. Is there anywhere... _anything_ we can do…?’’

Emmy sat forward a little bit and turned her face around. Much to his surprise, tears had started flowing down her cheeks accompanied with a small smile.

‘’Emmy…’’

He reached out and placed his hand against her cheek to wipe away her tears.

‘’Just know this… I’ve always loved you... _Hershel_.’’

She moved forward and quickly placed a kiss on his lips… before he once again woke up.


	22. Chapter 22

He woke up in a cold sweat and out of breath. The pain in his chest wasn’t as unbearable, but it was definitely still there. He sat up and tried to calm himself down with deep breaths. It surprised him that the pain wasn’t as extreme as the other day, but he supposed he should count himself lucky. He moved out of bed when he deemed himself ready and opened the curtains to reveal the early rays of the sun.

He sighed, knowing that they were one step closer to finding her.

One step closer...to the end.


	23. Chapter 23

‘’Olivia!’’ Andrew beamed happily when they approached a middle-aged woman in the middle of the large base.

‘’Andrew! I’m so glad you’re here!’’ Olivia beamed back with somewhat of a russian accent.

The two hugged, something Hershel found surprising of his old mentor. Maybe an old flame that resulted in friendship? Olivia introduced herself to Hershel as the leading researcher for the current expedition. She seemed very friendly; the laugh lines of her face apparent. 

She beckoned the two to follow her to her tent, where they sat down for a cup of tea. She was curious about their reasoning for the visit. She had always heard much praise coming from Andrew about his number one student, professor Hershel Layton, but why exactly they needed help from her in the middle of a jungle, she didn’t understand.

Andrew told her as much as possible without including the nitty gritty details of Hershel’s relation to Emmy, but it seemed like she understood.

‘’I’ve always, as do many, had somewhat of a small fascination with the mysterious Azran relic that caused Serena Proré to go missing. They have yet to find out what her notes mean, plus where the relic is.’’

‘’We don't really have evidence of any relation between the relic and our missing friend.’’ Andrew stroked his beard. ‘’But we both have a strong feeling it's connected. Speaking off, you wouldn’t happen to have heard about our friend?’’

‘’What was she doing in Borneo?’’ Olivia asked before taking another sip of her tea.

‘’She was investigating for the World Times four months back. She resigned all of a sudden without anyone expecting her to.’’ Hershel explained. ‘’From her last notes, we concluded that she started working together with someone on something new. Something that would change everything, as she put it.’’

‘’Something that would change everything… that sounds so familiar.’’ Olivia mumbled. ‘’Wait! Joshua!’’

Hershel and Andrew looked to each other before resettling their gaze on Olivia.

‘’Joshua?’’ they both asked.

‘’Yes! We shall depart right away.’’


	24. Chapter 24

They walked into a small camp that looked like it had been deserted some time ago. 

‘’I’m almost one hundred percent sure that he was here…’’ Olivia mumbled.

‘’So who is this...Joshua?’’ Hershel asked while swiping away some flies.

‘’Joshua has been researching something in these woods for the past 3 years. Some strange magical phenomenon he needs answers to. He always says, and I quote: ‘’It will change everything!’’ so that’s why it clicked for me that he might have something to do with your friend.’’

‘’And he’s usually here?’’ Andrew asked.

He opened a small tent next to the research sight, but found it empty.

‘’Yes, we check up on him every month or so, in case he runs out of food or water and he’s too caught up in work.’’

‘’Hm…’’ the professor hummed while squatting to the ground.

He traced his finger on a footprint that led into the forest.

‘’I think we might be able to trace him.’’ he said, determined.


	25. Chapter 25

Olivia had to go back to her campsite, which left Andrew and Hershel to follow the trail. The sky was turning dark, but they didn’t care. It was way more important to find this Joshua right now. Olivia had been worried for him as well, so it wasn’t just Emmy they were concerned about now.

They had asked her to tell them a little more about this man. She told them that he had just gotten to Borneo a year ago without telling them why. He only talked about his research, but rarely about his personal life. He was apparently tall and lanky, so easy enough to spot. Why he had left his post was still unclear.

‘’There,’’ Andrew pointed to a broken off piece of twig.

Hershel nodded and walked into its direction. The trail looked fresh enough to have been made somewhere on this day, but they couldn’t be too sure. 

They had walked for about half an hour, when Hershel started smelling something. He stopped, stuck his nose into the air and breathed in deeply.

‘’What is it?’’

‘’I think I smell… a fire.’’

‘’That could be him!’’

Hershel turned to his mentor and smiled a small smile. They could only hope it was. They continued in the direction of the fire and quickly found a small speck of light in the increasingly darkening jungle.

‘’Who goes there!’’ a low voice called out from close to the fire. ‘’I have a weapon!’’

Hershel felt his heart leap to his throat and instinctively took a stance in front of Andrew.

‘’We are looking for someone named Joshua. We heard from Olivia that you might be somewhere around here.’’ the professor answered.

No answer.

‘’My name is Andrew Schrader and this is Hershel Layton. We mean you no harm sir.’’

‘’What did you say!?’’

Andrew looked at hershel confused.

‘’We mean you no harm?’’ he repeated unsure.

‘’No no, the name!’’

‘’Hershel Layton?’’ Hershel asked, also confused.

Some moving around could be heard in front of them. From out of the bushes, a tall, lanky man appeared with tired eyes and a five o’clock shadow on his jaw.

‘’You are Hershel Layton?’’ he asked while pointing to the professor with a pathetic looking stick.

‘’I am…’’

He lowered the stick and seemed to be contemplating what to do next.

‘’I suppose… you can join me then.’’

Hershel and Andrew’s confusion wasn’t relieved, but at least he seemed to have accepted them.


	26. Chapter 26

They sat down near the makeshift fire and waited for the man to start talking. He didn’t seem hostile at all. He actually looked rather kind, although tired.

‘’Are you...Joshua?’’ Andrew asked carefully.

‘’I am. Sorry for the fright. I don’t...interact with a lot of people anymore these days.’’

‘’How do you know me?’’ Hershel asked.

Joshua looked at him for a moment, his gaze turning dark.

‘’You’re here for her, aren’t you?’’

Hershel felt his chest clench. He knew her? He knew Emmy? What did he do to her?

Hershel got up from his seat and frowned.

‘’Where is she.’’ he said in a demanding tone.

‘’I don’t think you want to see this… want to see her.’’ Joshua sighed while wrapped his arms around his knees.

‘’Why wouldn’t I want to see her? That’s the sole reason we’re here, aren’t we?’’ he responded angrily.

‘’Well,’’ Joshua mumbled. ‘’I know… but…’’

‘’What are you holding from us?’’ Andrew asked in a serious tone.

Hershel really had to hold himself back. He wanted to shake the answers out of him. But… he was still a gentleman… he couldn’t.

‘’I’m...I’m not it's just…’’

‘’It’s just?’’ Andrew asked.

‘’I’m sure you two know somewhat what is going on with Emmy, so…’’

‘’Emmy… She really is here?’’ Hershel said, a wave of relief washing over him when he heard her name.

Joshua sighed again and averted his gaze.

‘’Follow me…’’


	27. Chapter 27

The trip through the jungle was long and treacherous. Hershel and Andrew truly had to watch their every step, otherwise they would trip, entangle themselves, step on a snake or worse. The dark night didn’t help much. Joshua moved at the front with a torch in hand, guiding them through the darkness.

‘’We’re almost there…’’ he said softly.

Hershel didn’t know what to expect. On one hand, he was so happy he was going to see her again...but on the other… Joshua was being so mysterious. So cold and distant. Like something was terribly wrong.

‘’Olivia told us you were researching something supernatural in these parts. Could you tell us a little more about it?’’ Andrew asked.

He didn’t like the silence. It reminded him of darker days when he would spend most of his time alone. 

‘’I have come into contact with an Azran relic. Something the two of you are rather familiar with, or so I’ve heard.’’

‘’It can’t be..’’ Andrew mumbled.

‘’I have been studying its effects and...well...Emmy joined me in my efforts. She seemed fascinated with the concept. Something about a Azran girl she wanted to bring back..’’

‘’Aurora.’’ the professor said.

‘’Yes. That was the name she mentioned. Emmy is the one… who helped me discover what the relic truly does..’’

Joshua’s voice was trailing off. They stopped in front of a cave entrance that looked just about big enough for them to walk through together.

‘’I want to warn you mister Layton. What you’ll see in here… will not be pleasant.’’

‘’W...what?’’

Joshua walked inside without another word. Andrew and Hershel followed, their hearts in their throats.


	28. Chapter 28

The cave was longer than they first expected. The tunnel went on for a while...until Joshua stopped in his tracks. He slowly lifted his arm and pointed to the end of the tunnel, where a light from outside landed on...

‘’Emmy...no…’’ Hershel whimpered.

‘’I can’t believe it...the relic is real...’’ Andrew said sadly.

They had not expected to find this. On the ground at the back of the cave, they found Emmy...slumped against the wall, a stalagmite pierced through her chest. Above her heart, the relic pulsated a soft glow; her face lighting up with every pulse.

Hershel walked closer and sunk to his knees next to her, still not believing his eyes.

‘’She didn’t want you to find her.’’ Joshua said softly. ‘’She just wanted to have a few last moments with you.’’

The air inside the cave was cold and unforgiving. 

‘’How much longer does she…’’ Andrew had trouble finishing his sentence.

‘’Maybe one more dream…’’ Joshua sighed.

Hershel moved closer to her still form and grabbed a hold of her hand. He flinched at how cold she felt. He was right… she didn’t have long.

‘’Is there nothing we can do?’’ he said, almost breathlessly.

The silence from Joshua was telling.


	29. Chapter 29

It had been some time since their discovery and the trio of men had started a fire. The silence was thick and heavy, none of them eager to talk. The soft purple glow of the relic pulsated behind them from her form; painfully reminding them of each of their shortcomings in this situation.

Hershel Layton was lost in thought. He was thinking deeply about the last dream. The last few seconds he would share with Emmy Altava. The chances of her lasting through the night were small on its own. The pressure weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had come to realise that the feelings Emmy felt for him were reciprocated in a way, although only fresh and fragile in comparison. He wanted to tell her… but how…

‘’Do you know what happened to Serena Proré?’’ Andrew asked Joshua softly.

‘’Serena…’’ his expression turned sad. ‘’She was my… beloved.’’

‘’You were her partner?’’ Andrew asked, slightly surprised by the turn of events.

Joshua nodded. ‘’Yes. She was the first person to find the relic. She didn’t know how it worked or what it did, so she started doing experiments. One day, I received a letter that a remarkable thing had happened. It had only been a few days after her discovery, but she stumbled upon a graveyard of a small village. The relic had started responding. She became obsessed with death...and revival...and everything surrounding the morbid subject afterwards.’’

Hershel could tell it hurt the man to talk about it, but he was grateful he shared nonetheless.

‘’She...appeared in my dream a week afterwards. I had no idea how or why. She never shared. She only said that this was worth it and… that she was happy she was able to see me again.’’

Hershel’s heart throbbed painfully as he remembered Emmy’s remark.

_‘’I’m so happy you’re here, Hershel.’’_

The dreams made him happy at first as well. Like a strange connection had formed between him and his former assistant. But now that he knew what the connection truly meant… he couldn’t be farther from happy.

‘’Emmy told me about you, professor Layton.’’

Hershel looked up to Joshua.

‘’She… couldn’t shut up about you actually. Said that you would definitely be the one she would try to reach. Although… she wasn’t sure if you would ever think about her again.’’

‘’Wait… thinking about her has something to do with this?’’

‘’Yes actually.’’ Joshua averted his gaze to Emmy’s still body. ‘’The relic forms a connection between two souls. The only way they would connect in real life however, is if they are thinking about each other at the same time. That’s why it took many months before Emmy appeared in your dreams. You just hadn’t thought about her before.’’

‘’So… If I had thought about her sooner, would I have been able to…’’

Joshua raised his hand to cut him off. ‘’Don’t make it harder on yourself. She was already doomed from the start…’’

Hershel lowered his head into his arms, his tophat covering his eyes. He had to decide quickly what to do.

‘’What happened to her?’’ Andrew asked, afraid of the answer.

‘’She was trying to help me...but she fell and…’’ Joshua struggled to get out.

Tears had formed and were quick to fall.

‘’I placed the relic on her so she would at least have this. Before she passed out she...she told me what she saw. I have just been waiting for the relic to stop glowing. Since your arrival in Borneo...I noticed that the pulse had slowed down and the glow had started to lessen…’’

‘’I’m going to try to sleep.’’ Hershel said softly.

Andrew and Joshua nodded to the gentleman. And left him alone.


	30. Chapter 30

He looked around, understanding fully where he was and what he was doing here. The ground, the sky, the surrounding area all looked familiar. Blue mixed with pink and yellow clouds marked the lands, stretching on until forever, just like always. He walked through knowing what it meant. It served a purpose. He could tell what he remembered last.

Something he had seen many times before appeared in the distance, suddenly shooting close.

‘’The tree.’’ he said softly.

He was probably seeing it all for the last time. He turned around, feeling her presence.

‘’Emmy.’’

She stood before him. She was wearing a long white robe and had glitter in her half-long hair. She looked the same from the last he’d seen of her. 

She was about to speak, but closed her mouth again. He could tell she didn’t know what to say either.

Instead, he opened his arms, inviting her in. She quickly obliged and jumped against him. This time, she didn’t feel unnaturally light. She didn’t just faintly smell like lavender. She was there, fully.

‘’You found me.’’

He could hear her say against his chest. Her form had started to tremble.

He moved back and placed his hand against her cheek.

‘’And I’ll find you again.’’

The warm tears she shed trailed down his finger and her smile. Her beautiful smile.

‘’Please do.’’

It ended all in a kiss. Not one that was a first. Not one that was missed. Not one that was haste.

One that was loved.


	31. Chapter 31

Some months had passed since.

Professor Layton was on his way to his work, with much on his mind. He found difficulty in returning to his job and his normal life after everything that had happened, but was helped often by his friend and mentor Andrew Schrader. They had been through this together after all, so he was there when he needed someone most.

After the final dream, Hershel had woken up without any more pain. When he got up, he soon realised that the relic had stopped glowing… and Emmy had passed away.

Although soul crushing at first to lose another one close to his heart… he knew… that he would see her again one day.

After that, he had forced himself to think about all those he cared for on a daily basis. To think about every last person that had touched his life and left its mark.

To never forget.

He got out of his little Layton Mobile and breathed in the fresh morning scent. Something peculiar masked this particular morning smell…. Something he recognised right away. He turned around abruptly and started sprinting to the source. When he rounded the corner of Gressenheller University, he stopped in his tracks.

‘’Why good morning professor Layton! You’re here early.’’

His gaze softened and a small smile formed on his face.

‘’Good morning Rosa. Are those…?’’

‘’They’re lovely aren’t they! I thought it would be nice for the new semester.’’ Rosa beamed.

Hershel moved in closer and squatted down to the freshly planted lavender. He stroked his finger past the purple coloured flower and smiled solemnly.

‘’They’re lovely.’’ he whispered. ‘’Just like she was…’’

‘’What was that?’’

‘’Nothing. Rosa, would you be a dear and pot a few for my office?’’

‘’But of course dearie! Count on me!’’

‘’Thank you.’’

A small reminder.

Of her.


End file.
